Objectives

Chronic inflammation and pelvic adhesion play a critical role in endometriosis-related infertility. Research studies suggest that TGF-β superfamily members, such as soluble endoglin (sEng), growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) and tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) contribute to the regulation of inflammation, angiogenesis and cell adhesion. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between the concentrations of these TGF-β-related members and the clinical parameters of infertile women with endometriosis.

Materials and methods

Sixty-five infertile women who underwent laparoscopy were divided into two groups in this study: those who had endometriosis (n = 33) and control subjects with benign gynecologic disorders (n = 32). The levels of TGF-β- related members in peritoneal fluid and serum were evaluated by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Clinical and hematological parameters were documented and analyzed.

Results

Endometriosis cases had significantly higher levels of sEng, GDF-15 and TGF-β1 in peritoneal fluid (p<0.0005) compared to control subjects, but not in serum. Moreover, serum GDF-15 level was significantly elevated in the late-stage endometriosis compared to the early-stage group. The levels of three TGF-β related molecules in peritoneal fluid showed positive correlations with rASRM score. Blood neutrophil counts have correlation with the peritoneal sEng concentration.

Conclusion

Our novel evidence on the elevated concentration of peritoneal sEng and GDF-15 in endometriosis, specifically in the late-stage, may indicate the essential role of TGF-β-dependent signaling in endometriosis. Serum GDF-15 might serve as a candidate biomarker for endometriosis severity. Further studies are warranted to investigate the role and regulation of these molecules in endometriosis.

中文翻译：

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严重子宫内膜异位症和盆腔粘连的不孕妇女腹膜可溶性内皮糖蛋白和 GDF-15 升高

目标

慢性炎症和盆腔粘连在子宫内膜异位症相关的不孕症中起关键作用。研究表明，TGF-β 超家族成员，如可溶性内皮糖蛋白 (sEng)、生长分化因子 15 (GDF-15) 和肿瘤生长因子-β (TGF-β1) 有助于调节炎症、血管生成和细胞粘附。本研究的目的是调查这些 TGF-β 相关成员的浓度与子宫内膜异位症不孕妇女的临床参数之间的关系。

材料和方法

在这项研究中，65 名接受腹腔镜检查的不孕妇女被分为两组：子宫内膜异位症患者（n = 33）和良性妇科疾病对照组（n = 32）。通过酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）评估腹膜液和血清中TGF-β相关成员的水平。记录和分析临床和血液学参数。

结果

与对照组相比，子宫内膜异位症病例的腹膜液中 sEng、GDF-15 和 TGF-β1 水平显着升高（p< 0.0005），但血清中没有。此外，与早期组相比，晚期子宫内膜异位症患者的血清 GDF-15 水平显着升高。腹膜液中三种 TGF-β 相关分子的水平与 rASRM 评分呈正相关。血液中性粒细胞计数与腹膜 sEng 浓度相关。

结论

我们关于子宫内膜异位症中腹膜 sEng 和 GDF-15 浓度升高的新证据，特别是在晚期，可能表明 TGF-β 依赖性信号在子宫内膜异位症中的重要作用。血清 GDF-15 可能作为子宫内膜异位症严重程度的候选生物标志物。有必要进一步研究这些分子在子宫内膜异位症中的作用和调节。